Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever – Headlines
⭐Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever
✒️Michael Morpurgo
🎨Michael Foreman
📔Thames and Hudson (sent for review ad-pr)
🎉6 Oct 22
🌟Enchanting
🌟Nostalgic
🌟A treasure
🌟Following your dreams
🌟Women’s roles in WW2
Beautifully Created
The Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever is a book I know my nan and grandad would have gifted to me as a child. The cover is a beautiful, matt watercolour image that instantly draws you in. As an adult you can feel the nostalgia bursting out and children will be filled with wonder at the the image of the train speeding out of the tunnel.
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Although a still image Michael Foreman has truly encapsulated the dynamic nature of the Flying Scotsman in this front cover image but also throughout the book. Set in the past but teeming with life thanks to the gorgeous spreads.
Transport Fascination
Lots of children have a real fascination with transport, especially the awe and wonder of trains. Some children never lose that. If you’re like me you may still have a special place in your heart for these awesome beasts. I must admit to being particularly obsessed with the Shinkansen/ Bullet Train when I got to take several trips when I visited Japan.
Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever Synopsis
Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever is the story of Iris a little girl who is so proud of her Dad and the important job that he has. He’s the driver of the illustrious Flying Scotsman. Each birthday Iris gets to walk to her Dad’s work watching him preparing to depart and then leaving King’s Cross station.
Iris dreams of going on the Flying Scotsman and standing on the footplate her Dad stands on. The book shares the fantastic feats of the Flying Scotsman as well as Iris’s quest to make her dreams come true.
It’s such an enchanting tale that captures the magic of this world famous steam locomotive. The illustrations give so many opportunities to talk about the time and place that each spread is set with many objects and animals that children will enjoy exploring.
Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever Key Features
There’s a fact file at the back. My daughter has a preference towards fiction books so very much enjoyed the subsequent pages that gave factual information in a familiar ‘story’ spread format.
The end papers are lovely technical drawings and inside the dust jacket is a gorgeous green textured hardback. The book can be read to children of any age but is a picture book with more words than that of a traditional picture book.
Michael Morpurgo, as always, eloquently wraps you in the blanket of his story and sweeps you away in his gentle style. We love getting more depth in a story and I would suggest more independent readers of around 6+ would enjoy reading this book independently.
The Flying Scotsman 100 Years
You couldn’t get a more fitting tribute and celebration of 100 years of the Flying Scotsman. #FlyingScotsman100
If you’d like to see the Flying Scotsman you can find out where she is here.
Thank you so much to @ThamesAndHudson and @NationalRailwayMuseum for sending this treasure of a book our way. We adored it!